Catching Up
by Pyry Cole
Summary: Duck had been away for a while. Ace visits the mallard in his room to do some catching up. Ace finds himself in a predicament as he realizes the impact that Duck's absence has really had on him. Oneshot, Inspired by  XtreamCrazy's "First Impressions"


Loonatics Unleashed

Catching Up

by ~siriusandpyri

(Inspired by "First Impressions"

by ~*Xtreamcrazy)

Ace paused for a moment before a blue metallic door. The door itself was inoccuous, with no special features about it save an orange triangle. Of course as anyone knows, what makes doors different, is what's on the other side. The rabbit took a deep breath, scratching behind his right ear momentarily before tapping the door switch on the door frame. The entry slid open with a typical woosh. Beyond lay a dimly lit room. Its entrance marked by a simple orange rug with a pink border.

A few magazine and news articles lay haphazardly strewn about the floor, against the same wall to the left was a twin sized bed with pale orange sheets and a lavender pillow. At its sides were a pair of wing-like structures to be used as end tables and at the head was an alcove, above which was a poster of a jet-black duck with an intense stare represented in blue-values. A pair of wall-mounted lights with small golden statues of the narcissistic mallard sat at either side of the alcove. A small computer screen was mounted next to one of the light fixtures on a swivel arm. Along the walls of the entire room were posters and articles of Danger Duck, and against the left wall, a pair of shelves. Upon the top a computer with a large monitor, and on the bottom shelf, stacks of papers posters and books.

Ace took a few tentative steps into the room. On the far side of the chamber he eyed the mallard admiring himself in a mirror. He was dressed rather simply in a tight orange tank top, and a pair of black jeans. The obsidian feathers on his face and arms seemed to glimmer as the duck flexed, changing poses. They served an interesting spectacle, as each feather would shine individually with his movements. The bunny carefully treaded the room, stepping over the magazines, all of which featured cover-shots of Duck. He sat at the end of the bed, seeing if Duck would notice him on his own.

As expected, the mallard was a bit absorbed in his own form. Ace decided to call the drake's attention. "What's up Duck?" He inquired. His question seemed to go unheard as Duck continued to inspect himself in the mirror. As he turned on his heel to inspect his sides Duck locked eyes with the rabbit briefly. Upon seeing Ace he replied quipped. "Apparently having my privacy invaded."

Ace opened his mouth for a brief moment pointing up with his finger, as if trying to point words out of the air. For some reason he seemed slightly perturbed. The bunny rubbed his left shoulder before continuing. "A few 'tings have happened while ya were gone."

The drake turned about, locking eyes with Ace again. He stopped his vain display uncharacteristically. "Of course, the fun always happens when I'm gone, doesn't it?" There was a momentary appearance of frustration on the mallard's face. "Yeah, it sure does." Ace rebutted. His voice seemed unusually soft, clearly different from how he'd normally address Duck.

Now the bird was intrigued. He folded his arms, scanning Ace with a quizzical expression. "Despicable." he snapped. "So what'd I miss out on this time. Zombies? Angry fluffballs? Giant monsters?... Honestly, now it seems like all the good stuff happens whenever I'm not here. I'm supposed to be an action hero! how can I do that if you're all hogging the spotlight without me?" Duck seemed to find himself in a bit of a rant. Clearly his time away wasn't the most exciting. Ace chuckled quietly to himself at the mallard.

His behavior seemed very unsual to Duck, and the black-feathered egomaniac had just started to notice. "And really, what's up with you?, what's so funny?" he inquired.

"ahem." Ace cleared his throat briefly. "Nothin. Just haven't hoid ya whine in a while." he responded simply.

Duck paused for a second, his expression changing from confused to slightly angered. "Well maybe if you'd leave something for me, you know, aside from making me the butt of all your jokes. I wouldn't "whine"." He fumed.

"Oh no no, I wouldn't want dat" The rabbit began, "Of course, I wouldn't mind if ya cut down on the glory hoggin'." he said teasingly.

Duck raised his finger at the rabbit. "It's not my fault I'm incredible, good looking, and dynamic. I'm not hogging, you guys just don't try hard enough."

Ace looked at the floor, his expression suddenly downcast, "Oh yeah yer real amazin'."

Duck arched an ebon eyebrow, once again hopelessly confused. He began to speak "Uh what's-" He was suddenly cut off, the gray furred rabbit pulling him closer, looking up into his eyes from atop the bed.

There was a strange sadness in Ace's gaze, and the drake felt entirely lost when he looked at him. He hadn't the slightest idea what was going on. "Why did ya do it?" Ace asked, large pleading eyes aimed at the duck. Duck couldn't hope to decipher the meaning of the rabbit's words, nor could he fathom the emotion he saw behind the bunny's deep blue eyes.

"Do wha?" The mallard responded.

Ace's pleading expression seemed to get angrier. "Why? Why'd ya do it?"

"I don't know what you're..." Duck began. His statement was interrupted as a gray furred hand connected with his cheek, nearly sending him to the floor. The proud drake gathered his confidence, raising a fist. "What's the big idea? Who do you think you are to... to... " His rebuttal lost steam as he saw Ace's face. Completely gone was the strong leader that always kept duck under his thumb. In his place, a vulnerable gray rabbit, an inconcievable look of depression on his face, tears welled in his eyes, matting white fur as they dripped down his cheeks.

"Why'd ya do it? Why'd ya have to be the hero? Why couldn't you have just... just... Why did you have to save them?... How..." Ace paused, his eyes filled with glistening tears, The duck before him was well beyond the point of confusion, beyond question. "How could ya take the hit for 'em, and leave us... How could ya leave us alone? leave me?" he said, grabbing the mallard by the shoulder lightly pounding Duck's chest with his free hand.

Ace pulled the stunned duck into a tight embrace practically sobbing into his ear, "I miss ya... you don't know.. you'll never know, how much I.. I miss ya." he sniffed.

Suddenly there was a flickering orange light surging through the room. Objects began to fade away, the walls growing cold, and dark. The warmth of the room, its decor was gone. In place of the bed Ace was sitting on, a nondescript box, and in place of Duck, nothing but air.

Footsteps echoed through the empty room. The rabbit wiped tears from his eyes, looking up to see who'd interrupted. Lexi approached, clad in her black uniform, pink triangle across her chest. She looked at him with stern, but sympathetic eyes. "Ace..." She initiated, stalling a moment. "You can't keep doing this to yourself. And you know what Tech would say if he caught you using the simulator for this."

She reached out, putting a pink hand upon Ace's gray-furred shoulder. "We can't watch you do this.. you have to move along." she continued, addressing her downtrodden leader. "You know you can't change it.. you know Duck is... he's..." Her own resolve began to weaken.

Tears silently dripped from Ace's eyes, as he grabbed the hand on his shoulder, with both of his own, clenching for support. "Gone" he interrupted. "And he.. he went out a hero."

Lexi helped him up, as he continued to dry the last tears from his eyes. The pair of them somberly shuffling out of the room. The door slid shut, fading the details of the empty metallic room into complete darkness.


End file.
